So, how are things working out for the Jets just two offseasons and 22 regular-season games after acquiring aging quarterback Aaron Rodgers for multiple draft picks in April of 2023 and then paying him millions of dollars?

After missing Rodgers for all but four plays of the 2023 campaign and not making the playoffs, New York is 2-3 after five weeks of the 2024 regular season.

The Jets are also missing their head coach, Robert Saleh, who was fired on Tuesday following their 23-17 loss to Minnesota across the pond last Sunday morning in London, England.

Speculation ran wild almost immediately that Rodgers, a known malcontent who must have things his own way and manipulated the Jets into meeting numerous demands before he even agreed to be traded to them, was the one who got his head coach fired. Despite his known disposition, Rodgers said he not only had nothing to do with it but had no prior knowledge of it.

Rodgers addressed the drama during his weekly appearance on the Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday: “As far as any of the ridiculous allegations out there, I’m not gonna spend more than one sentence in response to it,” said Rodgers in a quote courtesy of USA Today. “And that is that I resent any of those accusations because they are patently false.”

“It’s interesting the amount of power that people think that I have, which I don’t.”

Ha! Yeah, right, Aaron. As if we didn’t already know how much power and influence franchise quarterbacks have with their teams. Dan Fouts, the legendary future Hall of Fame passer for the San Diego Chargers in the 1970s and 1980s, reportedly walked around the team facilities wearing a hat that read: “HMFIC.” I’ll let you draw your own conclusions as to what that acronym stood for, but just know that it included a swear word and pointed out that Fouts was the one running things.

A franchise quarterback becomes the most powerful figure in an NFL organization the moment he either morphs into one or, in the case of Rodgers, is acquired. In some instances, a head coach might have more or equal sway on his team but only if his name is Vince Lombardi, Chuck Noll, Bill Walsh, Bill Parcells or Bill Belichick.

Robert Saleh is none of those names.

Rodgers may have even gotten away with his latest bunch of BS if not for the fact that he practically told on himself while discussing the matter on McAfee’s show. He said that Jets owner Woody Johnson called him on Monday night but only to ask him how he was feeling after hurting his ankle in the loss to the Vikings. Rodgers insisted the two had a good conversation about a lot of topics but the imminent firing of his head coach was never mentioned.

Please.

You mean to tell me that Johnson called his most valuable asset the night before he was about to fire Saleh and didn’t mention it at all? He didn’t inform his most important position player that he was about to make a move at head coach?

It just doesn’t add up, which is why I’m almost certain that Rodgers not only was informed of Saleh’s imminent dismissal but that he gave his blessing.

It’s the only thing that makes sense.

I get why Rodgers would lie about having any prior knowledge of his coach’s firing–plausible deniability–but I don’t understand why he thinks anyone would believe him.

After all, he’s Aaron Rodgers.